CHAPTER X.
ANNOUNCING MR. BAROLD.
Lady Theobald's invited guests sat in the faded blue drawing-room,waiting. Everybody had been unusually prompt, perhaps becauseeverybody wished to be on the ground in time to see Miss OctaviaBassett make her entrance.
"I should think it would be rather a trial, even to such a girl as she issaid to be," remarked one matron.
"It is but natural that she should feel that Lady Theobald will regardher rather critically, and that she should know that American mannerswill hardly be the thing for a genteel and conservative English countrytown."
"We saw her a few days ago," said Lucia, who chanced to hear thisspeech, "and she is very pretty. I think I never saw any one so verypretty before."
"But in quite a theatrical way, I think, my dear," the matron replied, ina tone of gentle correction.
"I have seen so very few theatrical people," Lucia answered sweetly,"that I scarcely know what the theatrical way is, dear Mrs. Burnham. Herdress was very beautiful, and not like what we wear in Slowbridge; butshe seemed to me to be very bright and pretty, in a way quite new to me,and so just a little odd."
"I have heard that her dress is most extravagant and wasteful," put inMiss Pilcher, whose educational position entitled her to thecondescending respect of her patronesses. "She has lace on her morninggowns, which"--
"Miss Bassett and Miss Octavia Bassett," announced Dobson, throwingopen the door.
Lady Theobald rose from her seat. A slight rustle made itself heardthrough the company, as the ladies all turned toward the entrance; and,after they had so turned, there were evidences of a positive thrill.Before the eyes of all, Belinda Bassett advanced with rich ruffles ofMechlin at her neck and wrists, with a delicate and distinctly novel capupon her head, her niece following her with an unabashed face, twentypounds' worth of lace on her dress, and unmistakable diamonds in herlittle ears.
"There is not a _shadow_ of timidity about her," cried Mrs. Burnham underher breath. "This is actual boldness."
But this was a very severe term to use, notwithstanding that it was bornof righteous indignation. It was not boldness at all: it was only theserenity of a young person who was quite unconscious that there was anything to fear in the rather unimposing party before her. Octavia wasaccustomed to entering rooms full of strangers. She had spent severalyears of her life in hotels, where she had been stared out of countenanceby a few score new people every day. She was even used to being, in somesort, a young person of note. It was nothing unusual for her to know thatshe was being pointed out. "That pretty blonde," she often heard it said,"is Martin Bassett's daughter: sharp fellow, Bassett,--and lucky fellowtoo; more money than he can count."
So she was not at all frightened when she walked in behind Miss Belinda.She glanced about her cheerfully, and, catching sight of Lucia, smiled ather as she advanced up the room. The call of state Lady Theobald had madewith her grand-daughter had been a very brief one; but Octavia had takena decided fancy to Lucia, and was glad to see her again.
"I am glad to see you, Belinda," said her ladyship, shaking hands. "Andyou also, Miss Octavia."
"Thank you," responded Octavia.
"You are very kind," Miss Belinda murmured gratefully.
"I hope you are both well?" said Lady Theobald with majesticcondescension, and in tones to be heard all over the room.
"Quite well, thank you," murmured Miss Belinda again. "_Very_ wellindeed;" rather as if this fortunate state of affairs was the result ofher ladyship's kind intervention with the fates.
She felt terribly conscious of being the centre of observation, andrather overpowered by the novelty of her attire, which was plainlycreating a sensation. Octavia, however, who was far more looked at, wasentirely oblivious of the painful prominence of her position. Sheremained standing in the middle of the room, talking to Lucia, who hadapproached to greet her. She was so much taller than Lucia, that shelooked very tall indeed by contrast, and also very wonderfully dressed.Lucia's white muslin was one of Miss Chickie's fifteen, and was, in a"genteel" way, very suggestive of Slowbridge. Suspended from Octavia'swaist by a long loop of the embroidered ribbon, was a little round fan,of downy pale-blue feathers, and with this she played as she talked; butLucia, having nothing to play with, could only stand with her littlehands hanging at her sides.
"I have never been to an afternoon tea like this before," Octavia said."It is nothing like a kettle-drum."
"I am not sure that I know what a kettle-drum is," Lucia answered. "Theyhave them in London, I think; but I have never been to London."
"They have them in New York," said Octavia; "and they are a crowded sortof afternoon parties, where ladies go in carriage-toilet, not eveningdress. People are rushing in and out all the time."
Lucia glanced around the room and smiled.
"That is very unlike this," she remarked.
"Well," said Octavia, "I should think that, after all, this might benicer."
Which was very civil.
Lucia glanced around again--this time rather stealthily--at LadyTheobald. Then she glanced back at Octavia.
"But it isn't," she said, in an undertone.
Octavia began to laugh. They were on a new and familiar footing fromthat moment.
"I said 'it might,'" she answered.
She was not afraid, any longer, of finding the evening stupid. If therewere no young men, there was at least a young woman who was in sympathywith her. She said,--
"I hope that I shall behave myself pretty well, and do the things I amexpected to do."
"Oh!" said Lucia, with a rather alarmed expression, "I hope so. I--I amafraid you would not be comfortable if you didn't."
Octavia opened her eyes, as she often did at Miss Belinda's remarks, andthen suddenly she began to laugh again.
"What would they do?" she said disrespectfully. "Would they turn me out,without giving me any tea?"
Lucia looked still more frightened.
"Don't let them see you laughing," she said. "They--they will say youare giddy."
"Giddy!" replied Octavia. "I don't think there is any thing to make megiddy here."
"If they say you are giddy," said Lucia, "your fate will be sealed; and,if you are to stay here, it really will be better to try to please thema little."
Octavia reflected a moment.
"I don't mean to _dis_please them," she said, "unless they are veryeasily displeased. I suppose I don't think very much about what peopleare saying of me. I don't seem to notice."
"Will you come now and let me introduce Miss Egerton and her sister?"suggested Lucia hurriedly. "Grandmamma is looking at us."
In the innocence of her heart Octavia glanced at Lady Theobald, andsaw that she was looking at them, and with a disapproving air. "Iwonder what that's for?" she said to herself; but she followed Luciaacross the room.
She made the acquaintance of the Misses Egerton, who seemed ratherfluttered, and, after the first exchange of civilities, subsided intomonosyllables and attentive stares. They were, indeed, very anxious tohear Octavia converse, but had not the courage to attempt to draw herout, unless a sudden query of Miss Lydia's could be considered such anattempt.
"Do you like England?" she asked.
"Is this England?" inquired Octavia.
"It is a part of England, of course," replied the young lady, with calmliteralness.
"Then, of course, I like it very much," said Octavia, slightly waving herfan and smiling.
Miss Lydia Egerton and Miss Violet Egerton each regarded her in dubioussilence for a moment. They did not think she looked as if she were"clever;" but the speech sounded to both as if she were, and as if shemeant to be clever a little at their expense.
Naturally, after that they felt slightly uncomfortable, and said lessthan before; and conversation lagged to such an extent that Octavia wasnot sorry when tea was announced.
And it so happened that tea was not the only thing announced. The ladieshad all just risen from their seats with a gentle rustle
, and LadyTheobald was moving forward to marshal her procession into thedining-room, when Dobson appeared at the door again.
"Mr. Barold, my lady," he said, "and Mr. Burmistone."
Everybody glanced first at the door, and then at Lady Theobald. Mr.Francis Barold crossed the threshold, followed by the tall,square-shouldered builder of mills, who was a strong, handsome man, andbore himself very well, not seeming to mind at all the numerous eyesfixed upon him.
"I did not know," said Barold, "that we should find you had guests. Begpardon, I'm sure, and so does Burmistone, whom I had the pleasure ofmeeting at Broadoaks, and who was good enough to invite me to return withhim." Lady Theobald extended her hand to the gentleman specified.
"I am glad," she said rigidly, "to see Mr. Burmistone."
Then she turned to Barold.
"This is very fortunate," she announced. "We are just going in to taketea, in which I hope you will join us. Lucia"--
Mr. Francis Barold naturally turned, as her ladyship uttered hergranddaughter's name in a tone of command. It may be supposed that hisfirst intention in turning was to look at Lucia; but he had scarcely doneso, when his attention was attracted by the figure nearest to her,--thefigure of a young lady, who was playing with a little blue fan, andsmiling at him brilliantly and unmistakably.
The next moment he was standing at Octavia Bassett's side, looking ratherpleased, and the blood of Slowbridge was congealing, as the significanceof the situation was realized.
One instant of breathless--of awful--suspense, and her ladyshiprecovered herself.
"We will go in to tea," she said. "May I ask you, Mr. Burmistone, toaccompany Miss Pilcher?"